Parks are in crisis as keepers struggle to control litter, vandalism, rats, Japanese knotweed, and mess left by joggers, an official report warns today.

They are at a 'tipping point' and on the verge of c, the Communities and Local Government Committee said.

New homes are also 'nibbling away' at Britain's green spaces.

Parks are in crisis as keepers struggle to control litter, vandalism, rats, Japanese knotweed, and mess left by joggers, an official report warns today

To compound the problem, local authorities are trying to save money by closing public toilets, reducing opening hours and removing flower beds.

MPs suggested one solution may be to 'encourage' joggers and volunteers to help with maintenance to keep parks in an acceptable state.

According to the report, 92 per cent of councils have slashed park budgets and are likely to cut further. The impact has ranged from turning off paddling pools and water fountains, to removing outdoor gyms and play equipment for children.

The MPs said cuts meant wardens had a 'decreased ability to enforce park bylaws and regulations, leading to increased antisocial behaviour, litter, vandalism and other crime'.

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Other issues identified included 'increased algae in ponds, reduced grass-cutting, deterioration of bowling greens, overgrowth in planting, or increasing prevalence of nuisance plants such as Japanese knotweed or vermin such as rats'.

The biggest cut was by Newcastle City Council which slashed its parks budget by 97 per cent in five years, while Stockport saw a cut of 30 per cent in six years, the report found.

The MPs wrote: 'We are concerned that the impact of budget reductions could herald a return to the period of neglect which our parks experienced in the 1980s and 90s.'

Their report noted that since then, around £850million in lottery funding had gone to parks. Some submissions to the committee complained about running events such as Parkrun – 5,000-metre free fun runs held around the country on Saturdays, with 18,000 people taking part weekly.

Parks are at a 'tipping point' and on the verge of returning to the neglected state last seen in the 80s and 90s, the Communities and Local Government Committee said

While many contributors were positive about Parkrun, one said: 'Experience has shown there is almost always an extra cost for the authority … 200-plus runners will leave a mess even if it's just mud on footpaths … These events always take place at weekends which require extra staff coming in.'

The MPs said: 'It may be appropriate for local authorities to seek non-financial contributions from some park users to the upkeep and maintenance of parks and green spaces.'

They said Parkrun 'might nonetheless be encouraged to contribute volunteer time for park maintenance or fund-raising activities'. The MPs did not think the Government should make it a statutory duty for councils to provide parks.

The report was compiled from 400 submissions and 13,000 written responses from the public. The friends of Kennington Park, south London, said gardeners spent all their time picking up litter and a lack of staff meant bylaws stopping barbecues could not be enforced.

MPs suggested one solution may be to 'encourage' joggers and volunteers to help with maintenance to keep parks in an acceptable state

Derbyshire Council said fewer staff made it harder to deal with 'anti-social behaviour, litter and vandalism'. Friends of Saltwell Park, Gateshead, said children's groups had had to remove drug and alcohol paraphernalia from the park.

The number of park visits per year is estimated at between 2.5billion and 3billion, the report said.

Clive Betts, committee chairman, said: 'Parks are treasured public assets … but they are at a tipping point and, if we are to prevent a period of decline with potentially severe consequences, action must be taken.' He said volunteers did 'fantastic work' but the primary responsibility lay with local authorities.

Parkrun's Tom Williams said: 'At Parkrun we are extremely proud of our thousands of volunteers who come together every single week, already making significant contributions to the health, wellbeing and social cohesion of their local communities … we see many examples of communities contributing to their local parks outside of Parkrun.'